The Usborne Book of Peoples of the World

The title page of this 'internet-linked' volume makes a brave attempt to list the peoples of the world; however, having filled the available space with editors, designers, additional contributors and consultants, there is no room for the rest of us on it. What follows, though, is a good look at our planet, place by place, and some of the people who live there. So having defined 'ethnic groups' early on it gives a practical demonstration of how some groups are regionally confined, others globally dispersed. At least, that seems to be the theory. In fact this book seems to be more about the places than the people who live there - the two-page spread on Eastern Europe for instance, mentions only the various peoples of former Yugoslavia - and then only to list some of their original groups - telling us much more about Chernobyl, Communism, spa towns and architecture in Prague. The Middle East spread is slightly better in that we learn about the presence of Arabs, Persians, Turks, Jews and Bedouins. We also learn how to pour coffee Middle Eastern style and what Kuwaiti water towers look like. So, all in all, as a book on its own (of which it tells us it is a superb self-contained example) this is a very slight volume. But, larded as it is with websites, it may to the suitably equipped and inclined, be vastly more. As Thomas Waller remarked, 'One never knows, do one?' I certainly don't.